ELMIRA, N.Y. -- Elmira College field hockey plays two road games in as many days, when the Soaring Eagles square off against Nazareth College on Saturday, October 15th, and No. 13 University of Rochester, on Saturday October 16th. The match against Naz is scheduled to start at 12:00 p.m., while the Rochester tilt starts at 5:00 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT: The Purple and Gold dropped a pair of tough home games to Hartwick College and Stevens Institute of Technology, on Saturday and Sunday, October 8th and 9th. The match against Hartwick was especially heartbreaking, since Elmira held a 1-0 lead for over 54 minutes. The Purple and Gold allowed two second-half goals en route to a 2-1 decision. In the second contest of the weekend, the Soaring Eagles suffered a 6-0 loss at the hands of Stevens. The Purple and Gold had no answer for the Ducks' relentless offense. EC would finish the tilt with only five shots, compared to the Ducks' 27.  

END OF A HOMESTAND: Last weekend marked the end of Elmira's season-long four game homestand at the Murray Athletic Center. The Soaring Eagles ramped up their play while they were at home, beating Keuka College, 4-0, for their largest scoring output of the season. During the four-game stretch, Atu Machika '18 had a season-long three-game goal scoring streak, and Sarah McCaffrey '18 would follow suit with a season-long three-game point streak. Elmira's last home contest of the season is on Saturday, October 29th, when the Soaring Eagles celebrate Class of 2017 Recognition Day.

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN FLYERS: Naz enters Saturday's competition struggling mightily, owning an overall record of 1-12 and a home record of just 1-7. The Golden Flyers' lone win this season was a 2-1 victory over Wells College, in Aurora, New York. It was the first win for first-year coach Tarah Christenson. Naz would go on to lose its next 10 matches. However, the Purple and Gold should not take this team lightly. The Golden Flyers finished last season with nine wins and could've had more if it wasn't for five one-goal loses during the 2015 campaign.

SERIES HISTORY VS. NAZ: The Golden Flyers lead the all-time series between the programs, 11-5. Naz won last season's contest, 4-2, on Campus Field. Megan Brain '18 scored both goals for the Purple and Gold, two of her three goals last season. The last win in the series for the Soaring Eagles came in October of 2006. Although the Soaring Eagles lost the last nine games, recent matchups in the series have been close; three out of the last four games were decided by one goal, which includes an excruciating 4-3 overtime loss in September of 2014.  

SCOUTING THE YELLOWJACKETS: No. 13-ranked Rochester has come out of the gates quickly this season, having won its first 10 contests, and reaching as high as ninth on the NFHCA Division 3 Coaches Poll. However, the Yellowjackets have lost two straight matches to bring their overall record to 10-2. Following a 2-1 overtime loss to Vassar College, who is now receiving votes in the national poll, U of R rebounded nicely with an all-important 3-0 win over fellow Liberty League foe and 15th-ranked William Smith College. The Yellowjackets are led on offense by First-Team All-Liberty League midfielder Sayaka Abe and Second-Team All-Liberty League forward Callie Fisher. Abe leads the Liberty League with 12 assists, while Fisher paces the squad with 22 points and sits fourth in the conference with nine tallies.

SERIES HISTORY VS. ROCHESTER: Sunday's matchup will mark the 16th all-time meeting between the two teams. The Yellowjackets have controlled the series, owning a record of 13-2. The last victory in the series for the Purple and Gold came in September of 2002 by a final score of 1-0.

UP NEXT: The Soaring Eagles will face Empire 8 Conference rival, Utica College, on Saturday, October 22nd, at Utica's Charles A. Gaetano Stadium. The contest is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m.